Choosing Wisdom over 'Success'

The majority of us believe we are smart and successful. When asked, the majority of us also admit we are stuck: stuck in the past, stuck in the now and stuck in beliefs of one kind or another. This dichotomy can cause our capacity for being an innovative leader to stagnate, says Prasad Kaipa, a thought leader in innovation, leadership and change management.

Prasad has discovered that it is usually our past successes that get us stuck, not our failures. This is because our signature strengths quickly become outdated- we continue operating under a model of perceived competence based on our past models of success. When our past thinking is applied to the present, we begin to resist change, either consciously or subconsciously. We lose sight of the innovative opportunities that are present and available to us. After all, these opportunities are unproven. Why risk losing our track record of success?

However, we must embrace change. What we have done before is not guaranteed to always give the same results, and to remain in the old model is not 'smart'. This move from "functional smartness" to "business smartness" is wise leadership, says Prasad. When we focus on knowledge instead of awareness, we begin to choose perceived success over true wisdom.